50 meter rifle three positions
 | |
| Men | |
|---|---|
| Number of shots | 3×40 + 10 |
| Olympic Games | Since 1952 |
| World Championships | Since 1939 |
| Abbreviation | FR3X40 |
| Women | |
| Number of shots | 3×20 + 10 |
| Olympic Games | Since 1984 |
| World Championships | Since 1966 |
| Abbreviation | STR3X20 |
50 metre rifle three positions is an International Shooting Sport Federation event, a miniature version of 300 metre rifle three positions. It consists of the kneeling, prone, and standing positions, fired in that order, with 3×40 shots for men and 3×20 shots for women. The caliber is .22 Long Rifle (5.6 mm).
In the men's event, athletes must complete the course of fire within a single time block of 2 hours, 45 minutes. Due to its smaller round count, the women's event has a time limit of 1 hour, 45 minutes. These time limits are applicable to matches conducted using electronic targets; longer times are used if the slower manual scoring system is used. Women's rifles may weigh up to 6.5 kilograms (14 lb), as opposed to 8.0 kilograms (17.6 lb) for men, but after the switch from standard rifles to sport rifles this is now the only difference in equipment.
In major competitions, including World Cups and World Championships, the top eight competitors reach a finals match, where the medal positions are decided. Beginning in 2013, a new finals format was instituted, in which the qualification score is discarded, and the standings among the top eight shooters are determined by their finals scores alone. The course of fire was also changed significantly with the new rules, from the previous 10-shot program in only the standing position, into a 45-shot elimination format in all three positions. Starting with the 10th shot of the final, standing stage, the lowest ranking shooter is eliminated every shot, until the gold and silver medalists are determined among the final two survivors.
World Championships, Men
| Year | Place | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 |  Helsinki |
 Jacques Louis Mazoyer (FRA) |
Viljo Leskinen (FIN) |
 Gustav Lokotar (EST) |
| 1939 |  Luzern |
 Karl Steigelmann (GER) |
August Liivik (EST) |
 Kurt Johansson (SWE) |
| 1949 |  Buenos Aires |
Pauli Aapeli Janhonen (FIN) |
 Arthur Edwin Cook (USA) |
 Erling Asbjoern Kongshaug (NOR) |
| 1952 | Oslo |
Erling Asbjoern Kongshaug (NOR) |
Robert Buerchler (SUI) |
Johan Hunaes (NOR) |
| 1954 |  Caracas |
 Anatoli Bogdanov (URS) |
Vassily Borisov (URS) |
Vilho Ilmari Yloenen (FIN) |
| 1958 | Moscow |
Victor Shamburkin (URS) |
Marat Niyazov (URS) |
Moysey Itkis (URS) |
| 1962 |  Cairo |
Gary Anderson (USA) |
Marat Niyazov (URS) |
Erwin Vogt (SUI) |
| 1966 | Wiesbaden |
Gary Anderson (USA) |
Marat Niyazov (URS) |
 Henryk Gorski (POL) |
| 1970 | Phoenix |
Vitali Parkhimovitch (URS) |
John Writer (USA) |
Lones Wigger (USA) |
| 1974 | Thun |
John Writer (USA) |
Lones Wigger (USA) |
Lanny Bassham (USA) |
| 1978 |  Seoul |
Lanny Bassham (USA) |
 Malcolm Cooper (GBR) |
Ulrich Lind (FRG) |
| 1982 | Caracas |
Vladimir Lvov (URS) |
Peter Heinz (FRG) |
Viktor Vlasov (URS) |
| 1986 |  Suhl |
 Petr Kurka (TCH) |
Malcolm Cooper (GBR) |
Pavel Soukenik (TCH) |
| 1990 | Moscow |
Eun Chul Lee (KOR) |
Robert Foth (USA) |
Hrachya Petikyan (URS) |
| 1994 |  Milan |
Petr Kurka (CZE) |
Thomas Tamas (USA) |
 Wolfram Jun. Waibel (AUT) |
| 1998 |  Barcelona |
 Jozef Gönci (SVK) |
Pascal Bessy (FRA) |
 Rajmond Debevec (SLO) |
| 2002 | Lahti |
Marcel Buerge (SUI) |
 Konstantin Prikhodtchenko (RUS) |
 Peter Sidi (HUN) |
| 2006 |  Zagreb |
Artem Khadjibekov (RUS) |
 Stevan Pletikosic (SCG) |
 Lei Zhang (CHN) |
| 2010 | Munich |
Peter Sidi (HUN) |
Han Jin-seop (KOR) |
 Nemanja Mirosavljev (SRB) |
| 2014 | Granada |
Zhu Qinan (CHN) |
Sergey Kamenskiy (RUS) |
 Vitaly Bubnovich (BLR) |
World Championships, Men Team
World Championships, Women
| Year | Place | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Wiesbaden |
Margaret Thompson (USA) |
Anneliese Goth (FRG) |
Tatiana Ryabinskaya (URS) |
| 1970 | Phoenix |
Margaret Murdock (USA) |
 Desanka Perović (YUG) |
Lucia Fagereva (URS) |
| 1974 | Thun |
 Anka Pelova (BUL) |
Nonka Shatarova (BUL) |
Margaret Murdock (USA) |
| 1978 | Seoul |
Wanda Oliver (USA) |
Karen Monez (USA) |
Christina Gustafsson (SWE) |
| 1982 | Caracas |
Marlies Helbig (GDR) |
Lessia Leskiv (URS) |
Anna Malakhova (URS) |
| 1986 | Suhl |
Vesela Letcheva (BUL) |
Valentina Lazarova (BUL) |
Angela Berger (GDR) |
| 1990 | Moscow |
Vesela Letcheva (BUL) |
Deena Wigger (USA) |
Anitza Valkova (BUL) |
| 1994 | Milan |
Anna Maloukhina (RUS) |
 Lessia Leskiv (UKR) |
Irina Gerasimenok (RUS) |
| 1998 | Barcelona |
Sonja Pfeilschifter (GER) |
Xian Wang (CHN) |
Nonka Matova (BUL) |
| 2002 | Lahti |
Petra Horneber (GER) |
Natallia Kalnysh (UKR) |
Martina Prekel (GER) |
| 2006 | Zagreb |
Lioubov Galkina (RUS) |
Sylwia Bogacka (POL) |
Sonja Pfeilschifter (GER) |
World Championships, Women Team
World Championships, total medals
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union / Russia | 18 | 11 | 10 | 39 |
| 2 | United States | 12 | 12 | 7 | 31 |
| 3 | Bulgaria | 5 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | Germany / East Germany / West Germany | 5 | 8 | 9 | 22 |
| 5 | Ukraine | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | France | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 8 | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Finland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | China | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 11 | Norway | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 14 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | Slovakia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | South Korea | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | |
| 18 | Sweden | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 19 | Great Britain | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 20 | Austria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 20 | Estonia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 20 | Poland | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 20 | Yugoslavia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 24 | Serbia and Montenegro | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Hungary | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 25 | Slovenia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 55 | 55 | 55 | 165' | |
Current world records
| Current world records in 50 metre rifle three positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Qualification | 1186 | Nazar Louginets (RUS) |
June 12, 2014 | Munich (GER) | |||
| Final | 1287.9 | Rajmond Debevec (SLO) (1186+101.9) |
August 29, 1992 | Munich (GER) | ||||
| Teams | 3508 | Austria (Farnik, Knoegler, Planer) |
July 21, 2003 | Plzeň (CZE) | ||||
| Junior Men | Individual | 1182 | He Zhaohui (CHN) |
May 20, 2009 | Munich (GER) | |||
| Teams | 3471 | Soviet Union (Anisovich, Khadjibekov, Kovalenko) |
September 8, 1990 | Zenica (YUG) | ||||
| Women (ISSF) | Qualification | 594 | Snjezana Pejcic (CRO) |
April 22, 2016 | Rio de Janeiro (BRA) | |||
| Final | 698.0 | Sonja Pfeilschifter (GER) (594+104.0) |
May 28, 2006 | Munich (GER) | ||||
| Teams | 1754 | China (Shan, Wang, Xu) China (Du, Shan, Wang) |
24 July 1998 6 October 2002 |
Barcelona (ESP) Busan (KOR) |
||||
| Women (CISM) | Individual | 593 | Sonja Pfeilschifter (GER) |
August 16, 2009 | Zagreb (CRO) | |||
| Teams | 1748 | Russia (Goldobina, Nizkoshapskaya, Yushkova) Germany (Friedel, Lechner, Pfeilschifter) |
2005 2005 |
Thun (SUI) Thun (SUI) |
||||
| Junior Women | Individual | 591 | Wang Xian (CHN) |
May 29, 1998 | Milan (ITA) | |||
| Teams | 1736 | Slovakia (Compelová, Duľová, Pešková) |
July 27, 2001 | Zagreb (CRO) | ||||